Outdoor enthusiasts love the holiday season.
By Dan A. Nelson | December 7, 2006
We've enlisted the help of a few gear-heads to help sort through an assortment of outdoor gear and garments and present some of the things that any outdoor enthusiast would be happy to get as a gift.
By Dan A. Nelson | December 20, 2005
We've enlisted the help of a few gear-heads to help sort through an assortment of outdoor gear and garments and present some of the things any outdoor enthusiast would be happy to get as a gift.
By Dan A. Nelson | December 20, 2005
STEVENS PASS -- There weren't enough burly hemlock trees to go around.
Each of us needed one to hide behind and shed clothes after 20 minutes of glorious sunshine.
As we crunched up the steep hill to Skyline Lake on snowshoes, with Stevens Pass in our rear-views, a slam-dunk stellar day unfurled.
David Coffman, an accountant with Snohomish County, was working on a new Christmas song based on the grinding, percussive sound we made on the packed snow.
By Barry Truman | December 30, 2004
Gazing out at, say, the serrated horizon of snow-dusted spires along the Stuart Range from the top of nearby Iron Peak in the Teanaway country, it's only natural to want to capture the scene and take it home.
It'll stay sharp in your mind for a while. It'll stay sharp far longer in a good photograph.
By Greg Johnston | September 30, 2004
Don't let the unknowns of bike repair deflate your will to bike. A tune-up and some personal care you can get off your rump and on your ride.
For starters, a key question: How often does your bike need a tune-up?
"If you just ride it in sunny weather, your bike can go five years," said Aaron Goss, mechanic and owner of Aaron's Bicycle Repair in West Seattle. "If you ride a bike to work, you might need one twice a year."
By Jennifer Lloyd | May 27, 2004
Gearing Up
Once upon a time, I could not take a backpacking or camping trip without forgetting some critical item. Once it was my headlamp. Another time it was the water filter. But the worst was when I forgot my sleeping pad on a five-day trip into Wisconsin's Porcupine Mountains.
My back still hurts when I think about that trip.
By Kristin Hostetter | May 20, 2004
When inspiration struck last winter to train for the STP, my cycling equipment consisted of a helmet and a bare-bones hybrid bike left over from grad school. Here's a breakdown of what it cost to make my rookie voyage to Portland:
New bike: $326.40 —
This is far below what most new road bikes cost, especially those with automatic gear switches on the handlebars. But I saved hundreds by opting for a 24-speed Fuji League, a model with manual gear-shifts, and found it to be comfortable and reliable.
By Jake Batsell | February 19, 2004
Mount Rainier National Park ranger Jim Hitone has been leading snowshoe trips at the Paradise visitor center for three years, and he insists he loves just about every minute of it.
"I feel like I have the best job in the world," Hitone told a group of 20 novice snowshoers assembled for a free introductory snowshoe trip at Paradise. The white-haired ranger, who looks to be in his 60s, is both enthusiastic and cautious.
By Andrew Engelson | January 15, 2004
Skiing isn't the only way to enjoy a snowy winter day. And since it takes lots of practice -- often years -- to master the art of the telemark turn, many people are finding out that snowshoeing is a fantastic way to get out into the woods and mountains once summer says goodbye.
Here are some of the benefits:
By Kristin Hostetter | January 8, 2004
